This invention relates primarily to a method and article or device for protecting a user's fingers from abrasion and paper cuts when folding and creasing paper. A common example of use is creasing a letter-sized sheet or multiple sheets into three sections to enable enclosure in a business envelope for mailing. It may also be used for forming a crease line in a sheet of paper to enable tearing or slitting along the crease line or in the Japanese folding art of origami.
When creasing a sheet in the customary manner, one known technique is to start by first doubling over a section of the sheet along one edge, pinching the starting point of the crease between one's fingers and then drawing or pulling the compressed fingertips along the line to be creased. Another known technique is to place the doubled-over sheet on a solid surface, press a finger or thumb against the paper and move either the paper or hand to make the crease. While either one of these approaches works well for a few operations, the fingers are subject to abrasion if repetitive creasing tasks are performed. Many paper stocks are coated with substances which can be very abrasive to the skin if the skin is constantly run across the paper. Additionally, paper cuts are always a risk when creasing if the user is not careful.
Creasing can also be done by using one's fingernails on both sides of a sheet, or on one side against an opposing finger. In doing either of these, however, it is often necessary to first form a fold by finger pressing along the full length of the line to be creased to assure that the crease line will not stray, then returning to the starting point of the crease, pinching the fold line between the fingernails and drawing the nails across the prefolded line. Not only does this require two passes to create a crease, it also runs some risk of snagging and damaging the paper, because of the minimal area of fingernail contact with the paper at the pressure point. The risk of a paper cut occurring is greater when creasing with fingernails rather than pressing one's fingertips together. While skin damage from a paper cut is often very slight, it can be very painful, particularly if the cut occurs beneath a fingernail.